A brilliant tap-in eagle from Nelly Korda on the last hole means that the Rolex Rankings number three has moved to the top of the leaderboard on the second day of the Amundi Evian Championship.
The 23-year-old from Florida shot a superb four-under-par 67 in hot and sunny conditions to sit on 11-under-par after 36 holes at Evian Resort Golf Club. She holds a three stroke clubhouse lead over the 2014 champion Hyo-Joo Kim of Korea, who carded a five-under-par 66 today and Carlota Ciganda of Spain, the recent winner of the LET’s Estrella Damm Ladies Open presented by Catalunya, who fired a four-under 67.
Canadian Brooke Henderson teed off at 1.03pm and birdied her first two holes to move to nine-under-par. Like Korda, she is targeting her second Major title.
Korda saved the best until last, with two mighty blows to the 18th green setting up an eagle putt from two-and-a-half feet. Having saved par from the water in the first round, after removing her shoes and socks and standing ankle deep in the lake protecting the green, she decided that she would rather go long and used a 5-hybrid from 192 yards, with the ball sitting in the first cut.
“It was nice, stress-free,” said the seven-time LPGA Tour winner, who won the LET’s Lacoste Ladies Open de France at Golf du Medoc in 2019.
“Yesterday I was struggling with the ball below my feet. I was kind of hitting it out right I told myself, I’m going to aim a little bit more left, and I did actually fade it out to the right, and thank God I aimed a little left and it just turned out perfect.”
Charley Hull birdied the last hole for a round of 69 to sit in tied fifth place on seven-under-par.
The second round continues in brilliant sunshine and temperatures of 28C in Evian-les-Bains, France.
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